Engine.



H L. LOWE.

.ENGINE.

. APPLICATION man SEPT. 15. 1911. 1,2%,%& 11116111611 May 8,1917.

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H. L LOWE.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. 191 I.

Lw gwo Patented May 8,1917."

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Wrap stares PATENT ornrcn.

HENRY LELAND LOWE, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ENGINE.

v gines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to engines, and has special reference to a two cycle engine of the constant mixture type, i. 6., a two stroke cycle engine which shall have the operating characteristics of a four stroke cycle engine.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple and eflicient form of engine which will be adapted to control the ratio .of the fuel to the air supplied for combustion, will be simple in construction, and will have few parts which will be likely to get out of order. 7

The four cycle engine is ordinarily provided with means for regulating the mixture, z. e., the ratio of the fuel to the air supplied for combustion. This ratio does not remain absolutely constant at all loads or at all speeds, but for each load may be set so as to give the ratio most suitable for combusfrom a constant. Heretofore two cycle one gines have not been provided with means for controlling the ratio of the fuel 'to'the air supplied for combustion.

.A further object of my invention is to provide an internal combustion engine in which the air for scavenging the cylinders and for combustion is supplied by a blower of the rotary type, such as a centrifugal, positive pressure, or turbo blower.-

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains. to construct and use my improved internal combustion engine, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the pump plunger as connected to the engine shaft.

Li e symbols of reference herein indicate Specification of Letters Patent.

This ratio does not deviate widely point near the top of the cylinder 1.

Patented May a, 11917.

Application filed September 15, 1911. Serial No. 649,570.

like .parts in each of the figures of the drawmg.

As illustrated in the drawings A represents my improved internal combustion engine, and such engine is provided with the usual cylinder 1 which is surrounded with the ordinary water jacket. 2, while a piston 3 operates within said cylinder and is connected by a connecting rod 4 to the crank 4c of the engine shaft 5. I

The piston 3 is provided at its upper end with the ordinary packing rings 6, and has a deflecting shoulder or bafiie 7 at the upper end of the same, as hereinafter described.

At the left hand side of the engine as shown in Fig. 1, is a blower 8 which may be of the centrifugal, turbo or positive pressure type and is connected to the side of the engine in any convenient manner. v

Without the crank case 9 and mounted on the crank shaft 5 is a gear 10 which is fixedly secured to said shaft and is adapted to engage with a gear 11 mounted on a cam shaft 12, and said last named gear is secured to a sleeve 13 on said shaft by means of a feather key 14, while said sleeve is secured to said shaft by means of a helical feather key 15. The gear 10 on the crank shaft 5 also engages with another gear 16 which is secam 20 is secured in the same manner to the shaft 18, and both of said cams are situated on their respective shafts at a point within the crank case 9. I

The cylinder 1 is provided with an air inlet port 22 at the lower end of the same,

and such inlet port communicates with the blower 8, as hereinafter described.

Directly'opposite the air inlet port 22 in the cylinder 1 is an exhaust port 23 which is of a greater area than said inlet port and the top of which is slightly higher than said in let port.

Extending upward through the top of the crank case 9 is a rod 24 which has a flanged end 25 thereon at the bottom of the same, and such flange rests upon the upper face of the cam 20, while the upper end thereof is slidably mounted in a support 26' a fltha e top of the rod 24 bears against an arm 27 on the rod 28, and said last named rod is provided with a spiral spring 21 above said arm and between a plate 29 thereon for actuating the same. 1 The rod 28 is slidably mounted in the support 26, and the lower end of the same is adapted to control the supply of air from the air inlet valve 30. Connecting with the valve 30 is the chamber 31 and passageway 31, which has an opening 32 opening therein, while a pipe 32 connects with the bottom of said valve to supply the air thereto, and the fuel is admitted to the opening a passageway or port 38. About half way between the air outlet box 37 and the top of the crank case 9 is a circular disk 39, which is fixedly secured to the rod 33, while a spiral spring 40 is adapted to rest between said air outlet box and said disk and around said rod.

The top of the cylinder 1 is provided with a cover 41 which is unjacketed in order that the same may remain hotv so that spontaneous combustion will take place when the charge is admitted to said cylinder, said cover being hot from the combustion of the previous charge of mixture in said cylinder.

Connecting with the gear 11 on the shaft 12 is another gear 42 which is mounted on the pump shaft 43 and keyed to the same by means of a feather key 44, and such shaft is adapted to operate the variable displacement fuel pump B which consists of an eccentric 45, which is mounted on a bent portion 46 of the pump shaft 43, and said eccentric is adapted to operate in an eccentric sheath 47 by means of the key 48 on said eccentric fitting into a keyway 49 in said sheath, which is restrained from lateral motion by means of the two guides 50, one

- of which is adapted to rest against each side of the same.

Secured to the sheath 47 by the pin 51 is the pump plunger 52, which is adapted to operate between the guides 50, and said plunger has an upwardly extending rod 53 which operates in the passageway 54. Connecting with the passageway 54 and at right angles thereto is a passageway 55, which is provided with an inlet valve 56 for the admission of fuel to said opassageway from the supply pipe 57. At the upper end of the passageway 54 and at a position above the entrance of the passageway 55 is a valve 58 which operates between said first named passageway and the pipe 32 which supplies the fuel for ignition in the cylinder 1.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows: The cylinder 1 is cleaned or scavenged and filled with fresh air by the blower 8, which is constantly creating a supply of air for this purpose, and when such air enters the cylinder 1 by the admission port 22 it strikes against the bafile 7 and is thereby deflected upward in said cylinder and sweeps the products of combustion of the previous charge out through the exhaust port 23, thus leaving said cylinder and clearance space filled with fresh clean air. The

' piston now rises in the cylinder 1 on its return or compression stroke, and covers the inlet port 22 and exhaust port 23. A porment fuel pump B, the operation of which will be described later, into the chamber 31 v by the pipe C and the opening 30. Near the upper end of the stroke of the piston, but at a predetermined time, the air inlet valve 30 opens and admits high pressure air supplied by the pipe 32, and such air passes into the chamber 31 blowing the fuel previously delivered to this chamber into the combustion space of the cylinder 1 and against the cylinder head 1, which being unjacketed and hot from the combustion of the previous charge of fuel, readily ignites the new charge of fuel thus admitted. This ignition may be spontaneous, as described, or may be accomplished by electrical means (not shown), after which combustion takes place. The hot products of combustion expand, driving the piston 3 downward, transmitting energy to the engine shaft 5 by-the connecting rod 4 connecting with said piston and the crank 4.

Near the lower end of the downward or expansion stroke of the piston 4 the exhaust port 23 is uncovered by said piston and the pressure of the products of combustion reduced before the air inlet port 22, from the blower 8, opens, when the operation of scavenging and filling the cylinder with fresh air again takes place and the cycle is repeated as before described.

The outlet valve 35 mentioned above is actuated by means of the cam 19 which raises the rod 33 at suitable intervals or positions of the stroke, and the spiral spring 40 around such rod returns the valve 35 to its seat 36 when the flange 34 is released from its engagement with said cam. The cam 19 is rotated by the cam shaft 12, driven by the engine shaft 5, by the gears 10 and 11 at the same angular speed as the engine shaft. The angular relation between the crank 4 and the cam 19 may be altered by the operator or by an automatic governor so that the outlet valve 35 may open and close at various points of the stroke of the piston 3 and as desired by the operator.

Fig. 1 shows the position of the cam and crank for opening the outlet valve 35 at the moment the exhaust port 23 is uncovered on the expansion stroke of the piston 3, and closing at the moment the exhaust port 23 is covered during the compression stroke of the piston 3. This will leave in the cylinder themaximum quantity of air for combustion.

If the crank 4 moves in a clockwise direction, the cam 19 will move in a counterclockwise direction. If the cam shaft 12 be given a clockwise displacement relative to the crank, the opening of the outlet valve 35 will be delayed relative to the motion of the piston 3, so that air may be discharged from the cylinder 1 through the valve 35 for a considerable period of. the compression stroke, thus regulating the quantity of air remaining in said cylinder for combustion. By reference to Fig. 2, the engine shaft 5 drives the cam shaft 12 and the cam 19 rigidly secured thereto, by the .gear wheels 10 and 11 secured to the shafts 5 and 12, respectively. The gear 10 is keyed to the shaft 5, while the gear 11 in mesh with the first named gear is keyed to the sleeve 13 by the feather .key 24. The sleeve 13 being keyed to the shaft 11 by the helical feather key 15, a movement of the sleeve 13, axially, will therefore alter the angular position of the cam 19 and shaft 11 relative to the engine shaft 5 and crank4'. The pitch of the helical key 15 may be made so that for a convenient axial adjustment of the sleeve 13, the cam 19 maybe rotated relative to the crank 4 through any angle desired. By

this means the valve 35 may be opened and closed at any time in the engine cycle as may be desired.

The variable displacement of the fuel pump B operates as follows :'The gear 42 is driven at the same angular speed as the engine shaft 5 and is here shown, in mesh with the gear 20. The gear 42 drives the pump shaft 43 by the feather key 44, while a portion of the shaft 43 is bent at an angle to its axis of rotation.

This bent portion 46 of the shaft 43 passes through a hole in the eccentric 45, such that the axis of the hole is coincident with the axis of the bent portion 46 of the shaft, and in the position shown, the geometrical axis of the eccentric is coincident with the axis of rotation of said shaft. In the position shown, the rotation of the shaft 43 produces geometrical axis and imparts by the sheaf 47 a reciprocating motion to said pump plunger. The stroke of the plunger 52 c0nstantly increases as the shaft 43 1s moved to the left, and consequently the stroke of said plunger and the discharge of the pump per stroke can be adjusted to any desired quantity.

If the shaft 43-adjusting the fuel supply, and the sleeve 13 adjusting the air supply, be connected, the two may be operated simul g5 taneously by one motion either by the operator of the engine or by an automatic governor. i

The high pressure air for introducing the fuel into the cylinder 1 at the proper movement, which is delivered to the pipe 32, passes through the valve 30 and blows the fuel from the chamber 31 into said cylinder. Since the cam shaft 18 is driven by the gear 16 at the same angular speed as the engine shaft 5, if such cam shaft be displaced relative to the engine shaft the high pressure air inlet valve 30 may be made to open at any time during the engine cycle. The means by which this may be accomplished is identical with the means by which the cam shaft 12 is displaced relative to the engine shaft 5. I

The eifect of introducing the fuel at a variable time into an engine in which spontaneous ignition occurs, will produce in such engine a similar accelerating effect as that produced in an electrically ignited engine by advancing or retarding the time of ignition, an eifect essential to the successful op- 11o eration of a variable speed engine, such as an engine for use on an automobile or other vehicle.

It will be readily seen, therefore, that it is possible by the means of my invention to make a two stroke cycleinternal combustion engine in which the ratio of fuelto air supplied for combustion may be adjusted to any predetermined value.

The blower may be of the centrifugal, turbo or positive pressure type, as a larger quantity of air is available for scavenging and filling the cylinder by this than any other means.

Crank case compression does .not provide sufiicient fresh air to fill the cylinder and clearance space, to say nothing of the additional amount required for successful scavenging of the cylinder. Reciprocating blowers of suficient size to accomplish this result would have to be=of such bulk as to make them prohibitive, being greater in dimensions than the motor cylinder itself. Also the power required to operate a reciprocating blower is greater than that required for the rotary blower.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, said cylinder having an exhaust opening at its lower end, and an ai r inlet opening beyond said exhaust opening, a continuously operating air pump for continuously supplying air under pressure at said air inlet opening, whereby the products of combustion are dispelled from said cylinder and air substituted therefor, means for discharging a portion of the air from said cylinder during the upstroke of the piston, and means for introducing fuel into said cylinder in proportion to the quantity of air remaining therein.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, said cylinder having an exhaust opening at the lower end thereof, and having an air inlet opening beyond said exhaust opening, whereby said air inlet opening is uncovered by said piston subsequently to said exhaust opening, a continuously operating air pump for supplying air continuously to said air inlet opening, whereby the gases of combustion are dispelled from said cylinder and air substituted therefor, means for discharging 5 a portion of the air from the cylinder during the lip-stroke of the piston, and means for introducing fuel into said cylinder in proportion to the quantity of air remaining therein.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, said cylinder having an exhaust opening at the lower end thereof, a mechanically actuated, valve associated with said cylinder 5 for admitting air thereinto, means for actuating said valve after said exhaust port has been uncovered by said piston, a continuously operating air pump associated with said valve, whereby, after said valve has 5 been opened, the gases ofi combustion are dispelled from said cylinder, and air substituted therefor, means for discharging a portion of the air from said cylinder, and means for introducing fuel into said cylinder in proportion to the quantity of air remaining therein.

In testimony whereof, I, the said HENRY LELAND LOWE, have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY LELAND LOWE,

Witnesses:

PHIL. C. JAoKs, AMY! MCMILLAN. 

